I would like to compliment Dr. Sullivan and the Ethics Committee on their censure of Dr. Rosen. I have practiced emergency medicine for 38 years and had one malpractice case early in my career—about 1984. The expert witness arraigned against me was Dr. Rosen. You have no idea how disheartening that was to a young physician starting out. At the time, rumor had it that he commonly did this sort of work. Luckily, my expert was Greg Henry, and it eventually settled out of court. Dr. Rosen‘s deposition against me was very harsh and judgmental.

Thus, I am heartened to hear him finally called on the carpet, albeit 33 years late.

Richard C. Frederick, MD 

Dr. Peter Rosen remains one of the finest fathers of emergency medicine, who elevated the profession from the basements of hospitals to full and equal academic standings, has written countless books and publications, and trained hundreds of emergency medicine residents. His legacy will live on forever in the millions of patients he cared for, the patients his residents saved, and the patients that his residents’ residents will continue to care for.

I remember making monthly payments to buy the Rosen textbook when I was a medical student. When I was face-to-face with the legendary man, he insisted on being called Peter. It wasn’t just me. Medical students, nurses, paramedics, and colleagues all call him Peter. Peter is a humble man, lives a modest life, and is one of the most generous people I have ever met. I think he spends half his earnings on buying meals for students, residents, and friends. For a man who is constantly busy with publications, he makes time for a meal or a game of tennis with anyone who shows an interest. That’s his soft side. His tough side is a fearless defender of the medical profession and emergency medicine.

I recently visited Peter in his home in Tucson, and at the age of 80, his body showed wear and tear with ecchymosis to his extremities from being on blood thinners and a slowed gait after several joint replacements. He noticed that I glanced at the row of medications on his windowsill. “Those are keeping me alive,” he said. When I inquired about his health, he showed off about his doctors. His urologist was his intern, he trained his cardiologist, and he remembers when his orthopedic surgeon was in residency. I recall that I also treated Peter when he came to the emergency department for an asthma attack. I was a third-year resident and a bit timid to treat my teacher. He said, “I trust you; I trained you well,” and so I did.

Peter no longer sees patients and has not done legal work for several years. But he still reads tens of articles a day from around the world, is the first screening editor for the Journal of Emergency Medicine, continues to write, and still loves teaching. His mind is as sharp as ever.

His residents and I can attest that he did not just teach us the basics of emergency medicine but how to be good human beings and enjoy life as well. He taught us “get your loving at home” when it comes to seeking to be appreciated for a great emergency save, “put your brain in neutral and just do the work” when it comes to avoiding laziness; and “learn from other people‘s f*** ups.” Peter is an eloquent speaker and adds “tobacco sauce” to the English language.

The recent publications about Dr. Rosen and ACEP by ACEP Now [September 2016] are an unfair representation of who Peter is, what he means to so many emergency physicians across the country, and how much he has contributed to our specialty. He does not deserve the character assassination based on a disputed case of a missed pulmonary embolism that occurred 17 years ago. You can argue the significance of the S1Q3T3 ECG pattern back in 2007, which Peter drilled into his residents, but it will not alter the legacy that Peter leaves to this world and our profession. Peter, get your loving at home—and know your students and residents love you, too.

Roneet Lev, MD, FACEP
San Diego, California